Soaps produced from high laurate canola oil-based fatty acids

Abstract

A mild, foaming soap produced by saponifying C12:0 fatty acids obtained from a plant having integrated into its genome a DNA sequence encoding C12:0 preferring acyl-ACP thioesterase.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A soap comprising saponified products of a laurate canola oil. 
     
     
       2. The soap of claim 1, comprising about 1-100% by weight of saponified products. 
     
     
       3. The soap of claim 1 wherein the saponified products of laurate canola oil contain at least 12% of the salt of lauric acid. 
     
     
       4. The soap of claim 3, wherein the saponified products contain approximately 6% by weight or less of the salt of myristic acid. 
     
     
       5. The soap of claim 1, containing between 60 to 65% by weight of saponified laurate canola oil products. 
     
     
       6. The soap of claim 1 in solid form. 
     
     
       7. The soap of claim 1 in solution form. 
     
     
       8. The soap of claim 1 which is transparent. 
     
     
       9. The soap of claim 1, wherein at least 50% by weight of the saponified products is obtained from tallow fatty acids. 
     
     
       10. The soap of claim 9, wherein 50-90% by weight of the saponified products is obtained from tallow fatty acids. 
     
     
       11. The soap of claim 1 wherein said saponified products of the laurate canola oil contain at least 0.1% and up to 6% by weight of the salt of myristic acid. 
     
     
       12. The soap of claim 1 wherein saponified products of laurate canola oil do not include C8 and C10 fatty acids. 
     
     
       13. A soap comprising hydrogenated products of laurate canola fatty acids. 
     
     
       14. A soap obtained by saponifying laurate canola oil. 
     
     
       15. A soap obtained by a process, comprising the steps of: producing C12:0 fatty acids in a plant seed cell by growing a plant having integrated into its genome a DNA construct, the construct comprising in the 5' to 3' direction of transcription, a transcriptional regulatory region functional in the plant seed cell, a translational regulatory region functional in the plant seed cell, a plant transit peptide encoding sequence, a DNA sequence encoding C12:0 preferring acyl-ACP thioesterase functional in the plant seed cell and a transcription termination region functional in the plant seed cell;   recovering the fatty acid containing oil of the seed cell and   saponifying said oil or the fatty acids obtained from said oils.   
     
     
       16. The soap according to claim 15, wherein said plant is Brassica and the preferential acyl ACP thioesterase functional in said seed cell is an Umbellularia california C12:0 preferring acyl ACP thioesterase. 
     
     
       17. A method of increasing the foaming properties of tallow/coconut blend soaps by replacing coconut saponification products comprising: formulating tallow blend soaps with saponification products of laurate canola oil.   
     
     
       18. The method of claim 17 wherein said saponification products of laurate canola oil comprise the salts of the fatty acids having the following carbon chainlengths and unsaturation in the weight percents shown   ______________________________________                                    
        C10           0.1%                                                
        C12          38.8%                                                
        C14           4.1%                                                
        C16           2.7%                                                
        C16:1         0.2%                                                
        C18           1.6%                                                
        C18:1        32.8%                                                
        C18:2        11.2%                                                
        C18:3         6.8%                                                
        C20+          1.7%                                                
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       19. A method for improving mildness properties of tallow blend soaps comprising: formulating tallow blend soaps with an effective amount of at least one member selected from the group consisting of saponified laurate canola oil, saponified laurate canola fatty acids and hydrogenated and saponified laurate canola fatty acids. 
     
     
       20. A soap comprising saponified products of a laurate canola oil, said saponified products of the laurate canola oil contain at least 12% by weight of the salt of lauric acid, and 6.0% or less of the salt of myristic acid.